Soul Mates
by Mme. Raye
Summary: Both Ichigo and Rukia hate the rain. No pairings, sort of. Please R&R!


Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, er well yeah I own bleach...

**Bolded words** are in English, this story is in English but what I mean is in Bleach universe, they would be speaking, English...

And on to the story!

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"Oi! Rukia, wake up!" Ichigo opened the closet door and found the shinigami missing. 

"Nee-san left for school early today." Kon said flatly while flipping through her manga.

"Oh?" Ichigo shrugged it off. Whatever Rukia wanted to do on her free time was her business. Ichigo set down the plate and looked out the window. He searched the sky for a moment and sighed.

"I hate the rain." He said as he slid an umbrella in his bag.

Ichigo watch Rukia throughout class, she seemed distant, even more distant than usual. His brow furrowed deeper in his forehead as he wondered what could get Rukia so down. So when they were dismissed for lunch, Ichigo reached over and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Rukia, is everything-"

"Let's have lunch together, ne Kurosaki-kun?" Rukia said in her false, saccharine voice. They ate lunch underneath a large oak tree. Ichigo handed her a juice box which she accepted with a small, sad smile. What was wrong with her? Ichigo thought.

"Rukia." Ichigo said. "What's goin' on with you?" He asked bluntly. She said nothing but looked down at her juice box. She took a long sip from the straw. Ichigo sighed and leaned back on his elbows. "Whatever it is you don't have to tell me, I'm by your side. Ok?" Rukia whipped her head back and stared at Ichigo, her large eyes wider than normal.

"Ichi…go?"

"Don't make me repeat stuff like that, I've got an image to maintain." Ichigo said getting up to his feet. "We should go in, it looks like it's going to rain." Rukia looked at the clear blue sky and then to his back.

"Baka." She said with a grin. She got to her feet and followed him back.

"Man oh man! Look at this downpour!" Keigo was whining about the sudden thunderstorm.

"You have an umbrella, no big deal." Ichigo said while rummaging though his bag for his umbrella.

"Oh no! My sister took it this morning, she said she had to look good for her **soul mate**!" Keigo grabbed at his face in excessive melodrama.

"Don't worry, Keigo-kun, you can borrow mine. Kurosaki-kun can walk me home." Rukia said behind them in that voice that Ichigo detested.

"Really?" Rukia nodded and Rukia handed Keigo a pink umbrella with a Chappy pattern.

"Sure. Just return it to me, it's very special to me."

"Ah." Keigo looked at it and had second thoughts, no man would be caught dead using that thing. "No worries, Kuchiki-san, what doesn't kill me makes me stronger, eh?"

"Well then, let's go." Ichigo opened the umbrella, Rukia followed suit and they began walking silently to his home. Rukia seemed to be in deep thought again so Ichigo accepted this and enjoyed the silence. There has been too much chaos in his life, it was peaceful now, for a change. A car drove by and threw water up at Rukia. She huffed a little as looked down at her now muddy socks and skirt.

"It looked like such a pretty day today, how did you know it was going to rain?" Rukia asked rubbing the mud out of her clothes.

"I can feel it." Ichigo said looking beyond Rukia at the shore that still plagued him.

"I hate the rain."

"I'll take roadside." Ichigo said and he positioned himself between Rukia and the road.

"It doesn't matter, I'm already dirty." Rukia sighed.

"This way I can protect you from anything else." Ichigo said. Another silent moment passed but this time Rukia broke the silence.

"Ichigo, what is a **soul mate**?" She asked. "Does it mean that Keigo-kun's sister will marry that man in Soul Society?"

"No, it means that two people are fated to meet each other and they stay together forever, I guess they kind of complete each other's lives." Ichigo sighed, it must be Hallmark day for him.

"I see." Rukia said, they continued silently. They made it to Ichigo's home and went upstairs. Rukia changed into clean pajamas and snuggled in his closet with her manga. Ichigo lay on his bed, staring out the window, watching the rain collect on the glass, making small rivers.

"Ichigo?" He heard her say softly. He didn't look away from the rain which was slowly beginning to let up.

"Yeah?"

"Are we **soul mates**?" Ichigo thought for a long moment.

"Yeah, I guess we are." He closed his eyes and listen to the soft tapping on the ceiling fade away. He looked over at Rukia, whatever troubled her earlier was gone and she looked...content.

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A/N: So corny, right? No I just tied in a lot that happened between the two, I thought about having Keigo and Mizuiro interrupt their conversation by the tree but decided against it. Well I hoped you enjoyed it, I know it was short but please leave comments or criticisms. Thanks! 


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